Snakkle Looks Back at the Cast of Eight Is Enough, Over 30 Years Later

Eight Is Enough (1977-1981), was a full hour-long and with a laugh track, making it a tough show to categorize. While often quite funny, almost every episode was "very special," one of TV's first "dramedies." For five seasons—not enough—audiences watched the Bradford family "fill their lives with love." But which Bradford found fame on Broadway? Who struggled with drugs after the show? Let's find out.By Brett Singer

Then: Buckley had the unenviable task of replacing the Bradfords' mom, played by Diana Hyland; Hyland died of breast cancer after filming only four episodes. As further evidence of Eight's quality, the producers actually dealt with Joan Bradford's death, making Tom a widower at the start of season 2. Enter Buckley as Sandra Sue "Abby" Abbott, who eventually marries Tom. Buckley said on the Today show in 2010 that the situation was "like being a real stepmother," but fans agree that she made it work.